Violence

Something that is very disturbing to me is the growing number of CPS students killed this school year. It breaks my heart to see kids killing kids. I was telling my mom a few days ago that I truly believe there is NEVER a reason for violence. Never! If we try to stop violence with more violence, how will it ever end? Jesus clearly said, Love your enemies, return good for evil. He never said, it's ok only if they hit you first...or it's okay for war if you are protecting your people.

We are taught so often that redeptive violence is okay (look at the war!)...that there is a logic to it...yet, what exactly is this logic? In a book i'm reading, the author says, "the Jesus way shows us that we need not battle violence with power and force, but with humility and revolutionary subordination. Violence eventually kills itself. Sometimes all the peacemakers need to do is battle violence with revolutionary patience and steadfast hope, for the universe bends toward justice and the entire Christian story demonstrates the triumph of love."

The older I get and the more I see the tragedies around me, the more I am convinced that there is NEVER a reason for violence...do you agree or disagree?

Here are the names of the CPS students killed this 07-08 school year...may God be with their families and may we continue to pray that God will bring those who harmed them to justice:

Jerel Smith, 17, Frederick Douglass Academy High School-
Shot and killed on Sep. 9, 2007

Dalvin Miller, 14, Sexton School-
Shot and killed on Sep. 14, 2007 while with friends on the 6200 block of South Langley Avenue

Israel Mendoza, 13, Ames Middle School
Shot and killed on Sep. 10, 2007 after being abducted from his home.

Cordero Washington, 18, Banner South Alternative High School-
Shot and killed on Oct. 6, 2007

Arthur Jones, 10, Holmes Elementary School-
Shot and killed on Oct. 17, 2007 in the middle of gang crossfire

Samuel Benavente, 14, Eberhart Elementary School-
Shot and killed on Oct. 21, 2007 after trying to help a friend whose bike was stolen.

Joseph Perez, 17, Steinmetz Academic Centre-
Shot and killed on Nov. 2, 2007 later found in an alley on the Northwest side

Miguel Gomez, 16, School of Social Justice-
Shot and killed on Nov. 8, 2007 by a suspected gang member

Leonardo Otero, 15, Kelvyn Park High School-
Shot and killed on Jan. 7, 2008 in a drive-by shooting

Roky Uriostegui, 16, Kelly High School-
Shot three times and killed January 16, 2008 by suspected gang members

Karlton Wells, 16, Nancy Jefferson High School-
Shot and killed Feb. 20, 2008 in a fight over a cell phone

Rogelio Calderone, 17, Lozano Youth Connect Charter-
Shot and killed Feb. 29, 2008 after confronting a group of gang members

Jose Garcia, 18, York Alternative High School-
Shot and killed March 1, 2008 while sitting in a parked car

Kadeidrah Marsh, 15, AAST – Orr Campus High School-
Shot and killed March 2, 2008 after a dispute involving another girl

Paris Bassett, 16, School of Leadership South Shore-
Shot and killed March 2, 2008; found on a South Side sidewalk

Ruben Ivy, 18, Crane Technical Preparatory Common School-
Shot and killed March 7, 2008 by a suspected gang member

Channon Taylor, 18, Community Christian Academy-
Shot and killed March 8, 2008 while sitting in the back seat of a car

Marcellus Daniel, 15, Bronzeville Military Academy-
Body found in a garbage can on 3/14/2008, the victim of a gunshot wound to the head

Salvador Contreras, 18, Gage Park High School-
Shot and killed March 16, 2008 in a possible gang-related shooting

Miguel Pedro,15, Alfred Nobel Elementary-
Shot and killed March 28, 2008

Chavez Clarke, 18, Hyde Park Career Academy-
Shot and killed March 29, 2008 after leaving his Saturday class at Simeon Career Academy

Shannon Brown, 17, Fenger High School-
Died from a gunshot wound to the stomach early Tuesday April 1, 2008

Brashai Griffin, 15, Bloom Trail High School
Found strangled to death in a creek near her Sauk Village home

Albert Vaughn, 18, Juilian High School
Beaten to death by a baseball bat, Saturday April 5, 2008


God bless you all...